October 20, 2015: Exoplanets

Science Pub RVA #28

An Astronomical Revolution: Hunting for planets beyond our solar system

As with most Science Pub gatherings, participants didn’t just ask questions; they contributed some valuable information. Two SciPubbers are themselves planet hunters via Zooinverse’s citizen science platform and they encourage you to consider being one too! Additionally, they shared tha the news that citizen scientists pointed the way to the fascinating discovery announced just days before Science Pub RVA. (Read more here on Scientific American’s website.)

Dr. Singal’s research intersects several areas in astrophysics. These include how distant active galaxies have evolved over the history of the Universe, the contribution of such sources to the background radiations, and preparing for the coming generation of ‘big data’ astronomical surveys. Prior to joining the University of Richmond Physics Department in 2013, Singal did his postdoc work at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Stanford University, where he was involved in science communication activities such as public talks, interfacing with members of Congress, and writing research highlights. An avid traveler, he has set foot in 25 countries and visited all 50 United Sates. When not exploring our planet or gazing into the cosmos, he enjoys cycling and playing the guitar.